On October 7, the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai hosted Between Here and Elsewhere: Art in Transit, a conversation moderated by Satarupa Bhattacharya and dedicated to exploring the practices and perspectives that contribute to the understanding of Indian art within the broader context of South Asian art, while reflecting on the ways in which these practices move across different geographical, cultural and institutional contexts.
Organised by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Mumbai, the National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai (NGMA) and the Basu Foundation for the Arts, the conversation brought together different voices from the art world to explore the relationship between Indian art, international visibility and the circulation of artistic practices.
Particular attention was given to the Venice Biennale as an international platform for artistic representation and visibility, reflecting on what it means for Indian artists to participate in such a global context and on how international exposure can influence the ways in which artistic practices, narratives and histories are perceived and understood.
Jean Blanchaert opened the discussion by reflecting on the presence of Indian art at major international biennials and cultural institutions, while Sudarshan Shetty offered a different perspective on visibility: for artists and writers, visibility is not necessarily a conscious objective, as the focus often remains on the act of creating itself.
The conversation continued by exploring visibility not simply as a matter of exposure. Sumantro Ghose spoke of art as a form of placemaking, suggesting a way of thinking about artistic practice that goes beyond market dynamics and the pursuit of visibility.
For Arnaud Morand, the circulation of artworks and artists can itself be a way of keeping the conversation around artists and art alive, highlighting the importance of creating spaces where dialogue can continue, evolve and open up new possibilities for the future.
Debottam Bose highlighted the role of visibility within the wider art ecosystem, considering it as part of a broader process, while Siddharth Somaiya stressed the need for institutions to create more space for emerging artists and curators, describing visibility as something that can also be consciously encouraged through institutional choices.
Between Here and Elsewhere: Art in Transit highlighted the importance of keeping dialogue open, creating opportunities for artists, curators and cultural practitioners to encounter one another, while allowing different perspectives to shape the ways in which Indian art is understood within the broader landscape of South Asian and international contemporary art.
